The Eowyn Challenge/Walk to Rivendell (and beyond) is a Middle-Earth-related fitness group that began in March 2003, and has been going on with walkers around the world ever since. TORn's Walk is open to all people and healthy types of activity. Please visit the Eowyn Challenge site, especially the main page and the Walk page, for more information. Useful links, including mileage charts compiled by the late Karen Wynn Fonstad, are on the Tools page. grammaboodawg's awesome site for Bilbo's return mileages from the Lonely Mountain to Bag End, some helpful activity conversion charts, and the Walk to Rivendell's TORn-up Postcards Notta's Super-Duper Walking-Equivalents ChartEowyn Challenge Login Page to register miles

If you use the Eowyn Challenge site to track your progress, please update your mileage via the login page, and be sure to keep a backup record, in case Warg attack, Wizard-induced blizzard, or other fell calamity causes the Shields page to crash.Walk to Rivendell: There and Back Again Challenge - traveling through Middle Earth with thirteen rowdy Dwarves, one grumpy Wizard, and a beleaguered Hobbit

This has been quite a week for storms in the US. I'm sitting in about 11 inches of snow from overnight. WORK WAS CANCELLED!!! :D

*clears voice* I mean... I was saddened to learn that I couldn't go to work today *pumps fist*

SO... I've been shoveling and knocking all the snow off my dragon bush... which is now higher than roof line. If I don't knock off snow and ice, the dragon becomes a ferret.

I'm still working on getting my walking strength up now that my achilles tendon is trying to cooperate. It's still quick to remind me there could be impending doom if I wear the wrong shoes or push too hard, but I've got a trip coming up in a couple of weeks that will involve LOTS of walking and funky shoes... so exercising is essential.

Gandalf, Bilbo and I are on the forest road between the Misty Mountains and Rivendell on our way back to the Last Homely House. It'll be nice to rest in that most inviting refuge.

Thanks lots for keeping us on the road, Arandiel! GET SOME SLEEP :) And I hope our fellow walkers and you have a fantastic week!

Hmm, I wonder where you and gramma will cross paths...Walk to Rivendell: There and Back Again Challenge - traveling through Middle Earth with thirteen rowdy Dwarves, one grumpy Wizard, and a beleaguered Hobbit

Just a few inches of snow... we'll take really good care of it! sigh. I hate droughts.

Those juniper bushes resemble the ones we used to have in front of our house. "Dragon" is right - ours took chains, a car and a trailer hitch to remove!

Stay warm and safe, gramma, and let us know how many snow-shoveling miles you get! Walk to Rivendell: There and Back Again Challenge - traveling through Middle Earth with thirteen rowdy Dwarves, one grumpy Wizard, and a beleaguered Hobbit

Miles to contribute to the group: 24 My total miles: 134 Goal: There and Back Again

I'm out of the Barrow Downs; good thing I didn't stop and try to take a nap. Not sure Tom Bombadil would be available to help me. I'm just outside on Bree. Ahead is the intersection of the Great East Road and the Greenway. I'm looking forward to get to Bree, get to sleep at the Inn, and meet Mr. Butterbur. I hope he remembers my reservation! " He has just as much reason to go to war as you do. Why can he not fight for those he loves?"

Everybody posts when they can here at the Walk; the only "deadline" is that it's easier for me not to have to go back to the previous WtR once I get the new one up.

And I'm glad you made it safely past the Barrow-Downs! Watch out, though; I hear Bree has some rather shifty characters about. Walk to Rivendell: There and Back Again Challenge - traveling through Middle Earth with thirteen rowdy Dwarves, one grumpy Wizard, and a beleaguered Hobbit

but not too far. My heels & knees are a bit sore but not too bad. Now I need to find an indoor aerobics class. The place I was going dropped my favorite format (step) so I'm looking into joining a gym. The classes are easier on my heels & I prefer them to walking when the weather is hot or the roads are icy.

My work schedule has returned to normal, so getting out regularly is going to be easier now. I have yet to get over the first main hurdle; getting my body to accept that regular exercise is our new normal. I hope to be back to double digit miles totals in a few weeks.

Miles this week: 5.75 Total Miles: 104.02 Personal Goal: Erebor – contributing to group Goal Mileage: 23.92 (943.08 to go) 'There is some woe that lies upon you... Why will you not tell me more?' 'For that woe is past,' said Galadriel; 'and I would take what joy is here left, untroubled by memory. And maybe there is woe enough yet to come, thought still hope may seem bright.'

Slow and easy wins the race, right? I hope you and your dog have an easier time of it as you get better. Walk to Rivendell: There and Back Again Challenge - traveling through Middle Earth with thirteen rowdy Dwarves, one grumpy Wizard, and a beleaguered Hobbit

It doesn't feel like 'progress' or 'fun' when you have to ramp up slowly, but I find that I'm much happier (my feet certainly are!) when I take the time. Dangit. So hang in there, Joe; you'll get to where you want to be! Walk to Rivendell: There and Back Again Challenge - traveling through Middle Earth with thirteen rowdy Dwarves, one grumpy Wizard, and a beleaguered Hobbit

I did NOT mean to be this late! Sorry guys! My "schedule" (ahem) has been rather hectic. Busy blogging and studying and writing...and exercising. So here is my stats for last week! By the way, it snowed all day today, and it is so gorgeous outside!!

miles last week: 10.8 cumulative: 872.4 goal: There and Back Again Group Challenge!!

Hope you guys are all doing well, and staying healthy! (My dad is getting a cold. I hope the rest of the family doesn't get it....)

Keep going guys!!"It's like in the great stories Mr. Frodo. The ones that really mattered. Full of darkness and danger they were. And you didn't want to know the end...for how could the end be happy? How could the world go back to the way it was when so much bad had happened? But then you realize in the end it's just a passing thing, this shadow. A new day will come! And when the sun shines it will shine out the clearer. Those were the stories that stuck with you, that meant something. Even if you were too small to understand. But I think Mr. Frodo, I do understand. I know now. The folk in those stories a lot of chances of turnin' back only they didn't. They kept going, because they were holdin' on to something." "What are we holding onto, Sam?" "That there's some good in this world, Mr. Frodo. And it's worth fighting for!"

RL gets that way. Enjoy the snow! (don't suppose you could send any this way...) Walk to Rivendell: There and Back Again Challenge - traveling through Middle Earth with thirteen rowdy Dwarves, one grumpy Wizard, and a beleaguered Hobbit